Antimony - What should I make with it /

[LAGS]

I received my order of 20 pounds of Raw Antimony last week.
I already have 16 pounds of pure Tin.
So what should I smelt it in to ?
20 pounds of Antimony will make up 108 lb of Mono Type or
165 lb of LinoType or
333 pounds of Hardball or
500 lb of COWW
or 666 lb of 1/3 mix.
I think the best ratio for right now is to make it all into LinoType.
That is a good known blend, and can be added to equal amounts with lead to make Hardball, orwith 2 parts lead to one of lino to make the 1/3 when ever I need something softer.
With what I paid for the Tin and Antimony, the Lino is costing me about $2.50 a pound.
Most of the time I get the lead for free.
So when I cut the lino down to make Hardball, it is only costing me $1.25 a pound

Any Suggestions ?

Sorry, Pictures wont post again

[lobowolf761]

Looks like you already have it figured out. I guess it depends on what you the most of. You can always make some of each.

[LAGS]

I actually use the most of COWW or the 1/3 because I PC most of my bullets.
But I use a lot of the Lino for the Rifle Rounds and .357 magnum.
But once alloyed down to a softer blend, it is harder to Bring UP the BHN if I am running low on the hard stuff.
I also do a lot of Horse Trading for the lead since my friends dont Smelt.
They seem to like the Hardball.

[LAGS]

After calling around to friends, and seeing what they may be using in the near future, the best option is to make up half in Lino, and Half in Hardball.
I can always reduce either blend with lead as needed to make u the 1/3 for Powder coating.

[Buck Neck It]

Raw antimony? LAGS, you are hard core. So how did the alloying work out?

[bangerjim]

Yes......PLEASE.......let us know just HOW you get it to melt into ~750F lead!

banger

[mozeppa]

Yes......PLEASE.......let us know just HOW you get it to melt into ~750F lead!

banger

first you bring lead up to 1200 degrees (boiling point of lead is over 3100 degrees.)
antimony melts at 1167 degrees.

then.... you die from antimony poisoning....on a positive note tho ...

if you managed to get it mixed before dying...your widow will have some decent boolit material for her next huband to enjoy!

hey!....its all about paying it forward....right?

[LAGS]

If you put the raw Antimony in Melted Lead, then it will slowly flake off and melt into the lead.
It is like putting Hard Candy in your mouth. eventually it will break down and smelt into the lead at 800 degrees.
But it can take up to and hour to get it to break down.
This is the third ot fourth batch of Raw Antimony I have purchased from Conquest in California.

[Black Beard]

Dissolve it in lead and tin so that it has a very high antimony and tin content. Then cast it in to balls or ingots. Work out how much antimony and tin you need for a set number of ingots to make whatever your source of lead up to the right composition for one standard load. Eg I use 2 off .760 balls of antimony/tin/lead mix per 0.8kg range-scrap ingot to make the lead up to No 2 alloy. I ball per ingot would make something softer.

This saves lots of time melting the antimony in to the mix each time and still lets me play with mixtures.

If you take a hammer to the antimony and smash it up it dissolves quicker. I do this on an anvil with the antimony in a bag. Please wear goggles, gloves and a dust mask as antimony poisoning is not meant to be nice.

[LAGS]

I have a 10lb pot.
So I melt 107 ounces of lead, then add 15.5 ounces of Antimony to that and let it sit melting for an hour stirring every so once in a while, then I add in 5.5 of pure tin and flux it all together.
That yields me 8 pounds of LinoType lead.
To break up the antimony, I put a 1/2" steel plate in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, then put the Antimony chunks on the steel plate.
Then I use an Electric Demo Hammer / Roto Hammer on chipping mode to break it up.
Put a towel over the bucket and it keeps everything from flying out, or too much dust from coming up.
And Yes, I wear a mask , and do it in a well ventalated area.

[bangerjim]

Glad it works for you! Way too much work for me. I just stick with the ~350# of lino I have. And I can get more if I need it. With all the hundreds of pounds of other alloys I have, I think I am set for a little while.

Thanks for telling us what works for you. I have some old Sb electrodes from REDOX meters (~38#) I may try to alloy some day if I ever run out of the other stuff.


banger

[Steve Steven]

Many years ago, I was into casting heavily and wanted to add antimony to some lead. I found that trying to melt antimony released LOTS of fumes (antimony oxide?) that could not be good for someone.

I fitted a stainless pot with a close fitting lid made with solid insulation material (fitted into the pot) and layed the lead and antimony into it and melted the two with a oxy-acetylene torch, had to guess when the two were melted together.

Only got a small amount of fumes out, the two made a nice alloy and blended in with pure lead just fine. My experience.

[bruce381]

lot of work dosn't roto metals have a high antimony alloy that melts in easily?

[bangerjim]

lot of work dosn't roto metals have a high antimony alloy that melts in easily?


Yes: HardBall and SuperHard......both excellent sources of pre-alloyed Sb/Pb. I have several hundred pounds of each (not from them) that I use as a ready, easy, and safe source of Sb to harden my mixes. Saves all that grinding and high heat and time.

[RogerDat]

I was going to suggest making 30% antimony 70% lead mix which is superhard sold by rotometals. Many recipes exist for using that material. Why make a decision now about Linotype vs. Hardball? Just have it alloyed as superhard and make either Linotype, #2, Hardball, COWW or anything else as needed. Alloy calculator would make using that known 30% Sb alloy a breeze for whatever you needed.

[LAGS]

I could make Super Hard out of what I have.
But when you get up over 20% Antimony, to lead, it stops wanting to desolve without adding a whole bunch of heat.
Then the fumes come into play.
But once it is alloyed with the lead, it melts at a reasonable temperature, and can be re alloyed easily.
It is just that first Smelt that is dangerous.
I only tried melting Raw Antimony to add it to molten lead once.
Way to many fumes and white smoke that clung to everything, like a powder.

[RogerDat]

Did not know that the lower temp saturation point was 20% Sb now I do. Good to know.
I would still shoot for straight antimony & lead alloy. Use the alloy calculator to turn that into what you need when you need it. Better to have base ingredients of flower and sugar than having them pre-combined as cake mix when you need bread.

[LAGS]

Even a 20% alloy is good for a Hardening lead.
The main thing is to remember what you have , and what you are adding too it.
Like the guys that add magnum shot.
They always forget about the lead in that shot.
All percentages have to be factored in to get a tru mix, and a designed BHN.